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What are you doing right now? Part 2
My bil was admitted to hospital (reluctantly on his part) yesterday. He'd been sick for over a week, wouldn't eat, very shaky on his feet and having trouble breathing. He seemed to get thin in just that week, It was so scary for my sister and I. Suspected pneumonia but at this stage has been ruled a severe left lung infection. We're feeling a bit better now he's in the hospital but are still concerned.
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He'll be in my thoughts Bette! Hope he has a swift recovery now that he's in hospital.
Thanks, Greg. In the twenty-four years I have known him, he's never been sick so this a whole new reality for us.
Bette, I am very sorry to hear of this. Best wishes and I do hope he gets better VERY quickly.
It's been a hard week for the family. Last Friday my cousin's husband committed suicide which has really rocked our family. I only saw him six week's ago at my aunt's funeral; he didn't seem himself then but I thought it was because his mother-in-law had died.
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Oh my goodness Bette, how terrible! My heart goes out to you and all of your extended family.
Bette, so sorry to hear that . Sending thoughts and prayers to you and your family.
B the BookAddict wrote: "It's been a hard week for the family. Last Friday my cousin's husband committed suicide which has really rocked our family. I only saw him six week's ago at my aunt's funeral; he didn't seem himsel..."You and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers! I hope your husband recovers so that he can go home again.
Bette, I'm so sad to hear about your cousin's husband and your brother in law. I'm so saddened for your cousin and all family members. I will be keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers. Hugs!
Oh, Bette, it is terrible, terrible what you are going through. I think you need a hug--(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((Bette))))))))))))))))))))))))) I wish I could give it in person.
So sorry about your loss Bette and I hope your brother in law gets better soon. Sending hugs.
Bette, it's really tragic what you've been going through. I sincerely hope your brother in law at least will get well soon. Sending many thoughts your way, and a hug.
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We'll think of you Dear!
So sorry Bette to hear this news! I hope your brother-in-law has a speedy recovery.
Thank you for your wishes. The news is still the same re my bil and he's getting antibiotics via a drip. They are also monitoring his blood sugar levels and his sodium levels.We live on a seven acre property and my sister as telling me I'd have to learn to ride the ride on mower. But I've been saved (partially) by one of our fabulous neighbours who mowed the back four acres yesterday. I'll do the house-yard with the hand mower on Thursday, and the rest on the weekend.
We have been blessed with the best neighbours on both sides!
My goodness, B. So many things at once. Prayers and hugs for you and your bil.
I am thinking of you Bette, and hoping for improvements. Wow, that is a lot to cut!Challenging. Good luck
Mod
We live on a seven a..."
Keep your spirit up!!!
B the BookAddict wrote: "It's been a hard week for the family. Last Friday my cousin's husband committed suicide which has really rocked our family. I only saw him six week's ago at my aunt's funeral; he didn't seem himsel..."I am so sorry to hear this Bette.
Warmest wishes for you and your family.
B the BookAddict wrote: "Thank you for your wishes. The news is still the same re my bil and he's getting antibiotics via a drip. They are also monitoring his blood sugar levels and his sodium levels.We live on a seven a..."
I hope your bil shows some improvement so. I know from experience with other friends that any reduction in lung capacity can affect your health surprisingly quickly.
Thanks for your thoughts and wishes.
B the BookAddict wrote: "It's been a hard week for the family. Last Friday my cousin's husband committed suicide which has really rocked our family. I only saw him six week's ago at my aunt's funeral; he didn't seem himsel..."Please take care of yourself. I have been through two suicides, a cousin and an ex-romantic partner. It is very difficult.
Happier note: I am hanging out with my animals. I live “alone” here in Querétaro, Mexico, with my four cats, dog, ferret, and hedgehog. They are a daily joy and blessing.
A hedgehog? How do you pat or get mushy with one of them? I am just joking of course--you do not need to get cuddly will all your pets.
Chrissie wrote: "A hedgehog? How do you pat or get mushy with one of them? I am just joking of course--you do not need to get cuddly will all your pets."But do hedgehogs make good pets? Are they at all interested in interacting with humans?
Esther wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "A hedgehog? How do you pat or get mushy with one of them? I am just joking of course--you do not need to get cuddly will all your pets."But do hedgehogs make good pets? Are they ..."
Do fish? Having pets I guess serves different purposes for different people.
Chrissie wrote: "Do fish? Having pets I guess serves different purposes for different people. ..."Fish definitely do not benefit from interaction with me.
I am great with mammals, all my mammalian pets have been plump and happy, but fish just die on me. A couple of times people bought fish for my children but it ended in disaster.
Mind you I am hopeless with plants, too.
Esther wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "A hedgehog? How do you pat or get mushy with one of them? I am just joking of course--you do not need to get cuddly will all your pets."But do hedgehogs make good pets? Are they ..."
Indeed they are! Check out some hedgehog videos on YouTube, and you’ll see.
Of course, African dwarf hedgehogs are relatively new pets - they haven’t been domesticated for millennia like dogs, cats, horses, and even ferrets (who were house animals already in ancient Roman times). So it is important to start with a baby, and spend hand time with it every day. In my case, also to let it spend time with the other animals so that everyone feels comfortable. My youngest cat is very fond and protective of the hedgie.
I am not an expert on fish, but some fish such as koi do enjoy interacting with people.
Esther wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Do fish? Having pets I guess serves different purposes for different people. ..."Fish definitely do not benefit from interaction with me.
I am great with mammals, all my mammali..."
I am like you and prefer the cuddly sort. The kids and I tried fish but I thought all I ever did was clean the bowl. I love rabbits and guinea pigs , but dogs best. Turtles and frogs we caught in the lakes but they did not last very long. I see scraped carrot peels and immediately think of our guinea pigs. Some were terribly cute. My lope eared rabbit, Tizzy, has a special place in my heart. She ran around free in our apartment when we lived in Stockholm.
Puzzling situation today: I took a tour of a local, small chocolate factory, only 10 of us on the tour. The tour was very interesting, the guide personable & they gave us quite a few samples. We finished up at their sales counter. The trouble was I found I didn’t really like their chocolate. Not buying anything felt rude so I bought a few pieces.
Joan, in Belgium they are known for their great chocolates. My husband and I wold visit them when we were there. You could put together your on boxes of your favorite choices. Chocolate places do not smell much.NOT liking chocolate is something I cannot imagine. Probably since it is has been decades since I ate any. For me it is easiest to stay away completely from anything I shouldn't have. If I were to take a nibble I would just ant more and more and more. It is much easier to stay away from something you never eat. I do not even eat sugar free candy anymore. If I eat one drop, I want the whole box.
Is there anyone else like me? I don't mean diabetic but finding it difficult to take just a teeny nibble of something.
Chrissie wrote: "Is there anyone else like me? I don't mean diabetic but finding it difficult to take just a teeny nibble of something. ..."Flapjack! It used to be my Saturday treat from the local bakery but I decided I had to give it up when trying to lose weight and now I know I daren't ever try it again or I would be lost!
Ruth wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Is there anyone else like me? I don't mean diabetic but finding it difficult to take just a teeny nibble of something. ..."Flapjack! It used to be my Saturday treat from the loca..."
So you are like me, cut it out completely and never take a nibble. I know I am of the type to easily get addicted.
Chrissie, absolutely! I don't keep chocolate in the house; nothing exceeds like excess where chocolate and I are concerned.
Chrissie - I am the same way with chocolate and ice cream! I told my husband this year to take the leftover Halloween candy to work, which he did. I found out last night that he’s still eating it! In my hands it would’ve been gone in a week. I did not eat a single piece this year, a first in my life! Sugar is highly addictive. I think for some of us more than others! I have to keep it out of the house. Sometimes I get up in the morning and my husband has left me a piece of chocolate on the kitchen table. That works as long as there is no more chocolate in the house! Another thing that is hard to eat just one of is chips with salsa, especially when it is really good salsa!
Clearly I am not alone. I think it is dopamine that plays with us. We get addicted b/c dopamine tell us how nice eating this stuff is. I absolutely never use an artificial sweetener in tea or coffee either. They get you addicted too, Nice to know it is not only me.
When I took my morning beach walk we had 50 to 90km/hr winds and it was pelting rain.Cross your fingers for me that it will not be that way tomorrow. Oscar doesn't care, He found a log and ran with it anyhow and washed it in the sea. He is happy in any weather. He i s 9,5 years old now. Time does fly. I remember talking about getting him as a teeny puppy here on GR.......... That must mean I am 9,5 years older too!
Off to bed now.
I babysat my (almost 2 year old) grandson today and yesterday. Both days we took my dog Harley (bichon) for a walk. He's getting much better at holding the leash, not pulling on him, and paying attention to when he stops. He's even learned to say, "Let's go, Harley". He decided to try to climb into one of the empty community mailboxes (for large packages). That's one thing that never occurred to my other grandson! They are so funny at this age. I feel really blessed to have him in my life and here in town. I think one reason I enjoy walking with him (and my other grandson) is that I have fond memories, when I was young, of going on walks into town with my grandmother when she came to visit. (She lived in NYC and never drove and was used to walking everywhere.) Hopefully, they will have similar fond memories of me!
Listening to Wagner’s opera Siegfried via BBC 3, a performance from the Royal Opera House conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano. I can’t judge the production, but the music-making is wonderful. My four cats are really into classical music and opera; they gather near the speakers and listen attentively. My dog, ferret, and hedgehog don’t seem to notice the music particularly. But it is always great to spend time with the animals. I don’t go out much in the evenings anymore, because I’d rather be at home with them.
Patrick, that does sound like a great way to spend an afternoon or evening. I’ve never listened to any of Wagner’s Ring but I enjoyed The Flying Dutchman and Tristan und Isolde.It’s nice your pets get along. Our 2 cats having been waging a cold war for 12 years - you’d think they’d be over it by now.
What do you think is the correct plural for opera? Is opera plural already, like sheep, or operas? I also found opere listed as the plural on Wiktionary.
Since I didn’t know I just wrote “Wagner’s Ring” above :-)
All seven of them do get along very well! As a musical form, the plural of opera is just “operas” (says this English teacher).
I’ve never seen a Ring cycle in person, alas. I have seen Parsifal and The Flying Dutchman on stage, many years ago. Nowadays I have to rely on recordings, and the miracle of Internet radio and YouTube, which bring us so much. We sometimes forget, because there is so much junk on the web, that there is also so much GOOD STUFF. I can’t keep up, although I try.
Pam wrote: "I babysat my (almost 2 year old) grandson today and yesterday. Both days we took my dog Harley (bichon) for a walk. He's getting much better at holding the leash, not pulling on him, and paying att..."Pam sounds like you have had a really nice two days caring for your grandson, things to remember for both of you.
Patrick wrote: "Listening to Wagner’s opera Siegfried via BBC 3, a performance from the Royal Opera House conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano. I can’t judge the production, but the music-making is wonderful. My fou..."
Oh wow, that is cool how the cats LISTEN to the music. Your evenings at home sound lovely.
They really do listen. It is amazing. They sit near the speakers, or on a chair in front of the speakers. They move off when a piece is over. Uncanny.
Patrick wrote: "They really do listen. It is amazing. They sit near the speakers, or on a chair in front of the speakers. They move off when a piece is over. Uncanny."I do not think it is weird. We tend not to realize how capable and aware are pets are. It is not just humans that think and appreciate the world around them.
I completely agree. The pinned tweet on my Twitter account reads:Animals are our kin. They are not fundamentally different from us. They have emotions and preferences. We are not "better" than they are.
That is great that you have that there!
While reading Thomas Mann’s Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family this morning, I came across this observation:“But Tony had the lovely knack of being able to adapt readily to any situation in life simply by tackling its new possibilities.”
Isn’t that great? That’s how I want to be and how I try to be. It has been so helpful in adjusting to life in new countries (first South Korea and then Mexico).
Patrick wrote: "While reading Thomas Mann’s Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family this morning, I came across this observation:“But Tony had the lovely knack of being able to adapt readily to any si..."
I might agree only if you show me the way how to choose the right possibilities ... As a matter of fact life is made of possibilities ranging all from life to death ...
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I hope this coming week is better for you, t..."
No, unfortunately no vacation from work that day, but at least there's no night class because of the holiday; so it should be an earlier night :)